SALEM, Ore. — Young people in Oregon who have experienced homelessness may be eligible for help paying for college through the Oregon Department of Human Services Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program Tuition and Fee Waiver Program.
The program is designed for young people under the age of 25 who experienced unaccompanied homelessness for at least six months between the ages of 14 and 24. Applicants must also have received services from a Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program partner when they were 16 or older.
ODHS says the program is intended to make higher education more accessible for young people who have faced housing instability.
“College can feel out of reach for young people who have experienced homelessness, and this program tells them that Oregon knows their future is worth investing in,” said Matthew Rasmussen, manager of the ODHS Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program.
Bell Cambridge, a recipient of the waiver and a member of the program’s Youth Action Board, said the waiver creates opportunities that many young people may not have thought were possible.
“The tuition and fee waiver program means opportunity,” Cambridge said. “It is an opportunity to pursue a meaningful future and a career that I never thought possible for myself or others like me.”
To qualify, applicants must complete either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, or the Oregon Student Aid Application, known as ORSAA. They must also be enrolled in at least one course credit toward an undergraduate degree at an Oregon public university or community college and be in good academic standing.
There is no deadline to apply.
The waiver covers tuition for academic credit courses, mandatory enrollment fees, one-time fees and course fees for students pursuing a two-year or four-year undergraduate degree at an Oregon public university or community college.
ODHS says the program is a waiver of last resort, meaning it covers eligible tuition and fees that remain after other federal, state and institutional grants and scholarships have been applied.
Applications are available in English and Spanish through the ODHS Resources for Youth Experiencing Homelessness webpage. Young people can also request help with the application from the ODHS Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program.
The tuition and fee waiver program was created through House Bill 4013, which passed during the 2022 Oregon legislative session.
